This invention relates to a suspended, adjustable height watering system for use in poultry houses; and more particularly to drinker line sections of such a watering system, which may be prefabricated for ease of system installation in the poultry house.
One object of this invention is to provide an improved suspended watering system which is designed for ease of fabrication and installation and, accordingly, to minimize the fabrication and installation costs.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved suspended watering system which is fabricated from light weight materials to minimize the load supporting requirements in the poultry house and to provide for ease of operation and maintenance.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved suspended watering system designed to utilize a light weight flexible pipe, such as PVC pipe, and provide the desired nonsagging support for that pipe with minimum suspension cables.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved suspended watering system of light weight and simple construction which eliminates water spillage and water leakage in the poultry house.
These objects are accomplished in a watering system which in an assembly of drinker sections prefabricated in a manner to be readily connected in end-to-end relation to form a continuous drinker line. Each drinker section includes a preselected length of a flexible pipe, with a coupling being secured to one end of the pipe for joining that pipe and its associated section to the pipe of an adjoining drinker section. A plurality of poultry operated drinker devices are mounted on the pipe in selected spaced relation to be supplied by the pipe. A support bar of selected length slightly shorter than the pipe, has a generally V-shaped cross section; and the support bar and pipe are clamped together with the pipe nesting partially within the channel of the support bar. A bridging bar having the same uniform, generally V-shaped cross section as the support bar, is disposed at one end of the drinker section in a manner to underlie the associated end of the support bar and the pipe coupling, and to extend beyond the coupling to underlie the support bar of an adjacent section. The bridging bar is disposed in nesting relation with the support bar and clamped to the support bar and pipe. Suitably spaced band clamps are provided for tightly clamping the pipe, the support bar, and the bridging bar together.
The novel features and the advantages of the invention, as well as additional objects thereof, will be understood more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.